ONE Championship’s heavyweight title picture has shifted suddenly after Oumar “Reug Reug” Kane was involved in what the promotion described as a serious car accident. The reigning champion, originally set to defend his belt against Anatoly Malykhin, will no longer compete at ONE 173 as he recovers from the incident.
The organization confirmed the news through an official announcement:
“ONE Heavyweight MMA World Champion ‘Reug Reug’ was involved in a serious car accident. His World Title defense against Anatoly Malykhin is postponed. We’ll share more updates as they come, and we wish ‘Reug Reug’ a swift and full recovery.”
Though details about Kane’s injuries remain private, early reports from his team indicate he’s on track for recovery and could be cleared to return by April if rehabilitation goes as planned.
Coach Reveals Fighter Wanted to Compete Anyway
Kane’s coach, Kedu Uchegbu of Black Panther Sport, shared more context on social media, expressing both relief and frustration that his fighter needed to be pulled out of the upcoming event.
“Some facts,” Uchegbu wrote. “1) ‘Reug Reug’ isn’t dead. 2) He won his last two fights with serious injuries and still made it look easy. 3) We ready to go [in] April you will get these hands [Malykhin]. 4) If I didn’t pull him from the fight he would have still fought in Japan this weekend, same way he didn’t tell me about his injury in the last fight so he could fight injured. 5) This guy is from the mud he isn’t scared to fight [anybody], boy.”
Uchegbu’s revelation that Kane nearly fought despite the crash further shows the Senegalese powerhouse’s relentless mindset.
Kane, 33, has made a significant mark since joining ONE Championship in 2021. The Senegalese wrestler became an overnight sensation with explosive wins over Alain Ngalani and Patrick Schmid. Although he suffered his first career loss soon after to Kirill Grishenko, he rebounded with four straight victories. His latest—a close split-decision triumph over Anatoly Malykhin—earned him the heavyweight crown and handed the Russian his first defeat.
Despite the setback, ONE 173 will still feature two title fights. Christian Lee will defend his welterweight belt against Alibeg Rasulov, while strawweight champion Joshua Pacio makes a bold move up in weight to challenge flyweight titleholder Yuya Wakamatsu.
For now, fans will have to wait to see when “Reug Reug” returns to action, but according to his team, the champion’s determination remains unshaken — and April might mark the next chapter of his comeback story.
